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Are you going to decide that it’s just a genetic problem? Do not do it. What you have to differentiate in your body is the lean mass compared to the fat mass. The only thing you really want to lose is fat mass.
If you want your clothes to look really good, a toned body and more social security, what you need to do is to monitor the percentage of fat mass, so that you adjust your diet and your physical activity accordingly. This index, changing over time will indicate if you are doing well or not.
Very often, however, having a tone body is not a question of going to the gym, but having a great diet.
So how do you know the percentage of fat mass of your body? There are many systems, some of them very precise but very expensive. In this case I present an economic method to do it quickly, at home and without effort.
To lose body fat and maintain muscle, you need to know your body fat in relation to lean body mass.
If you are trying to get rid of excess fat then you will be interested in knowing an even more important value of your body weight. The percentage of fat is a good index to understand if you are losing fat or lean mass.
Table of Contents
The method of the American Navy
In this article we will look at how to identify your fat percentage. Few tools are required to complete the method. Warning: this method is not the most accurate, but it is the fastest and easiest to perform. Consult an expert for advice on how to lose weight.
Notice: At the end of the article I provide a downloadable Google table, with which you can enter the values and get the percentage.
To complete the method you only need a tape measure and a tape measure, items that are readily available. If you do not have them available I suggest you two links on Amazon.
https://amzn.to/2yBMJ8R
https://amzn.to/2JjbGdj
Get your height
Without the footwear and maybe using a tape measure (flexometer), keeping the horizontal head measures your height in cm.
Measure the circumference of the waist
Measure the circumference of the waist. Choose the waist in the narrowest part. Do not hold your breathe, but choose a relaxed position.
Better to do it without wearing a shirt.
Measure the circumference of the neck
Using a tape measure put the tape at the larynx, and slide it a little lower.
Measure the circumference of the thigh
For women there is another step, which consists of measuring the thigh. Keeping the meter in a horizontal position, measure the thigh at the widest point.
Perform the calculation
Now that you have these measures available, simply click this link and enter your measurements. This file allows you to automate the calculation that would otherwise be complicated. The file contains a calculation for men and women.
View the spreadsheet
I recommend to monitor the value on a regular basis.
Analysis of results
Here are the results and the percentage of body fat:
| Classification | Men | Women |
| Essential body fat | 2 – 4% | 9 – 11% |
| Athlete | 6 – 13% | 14 – 20% |
| In shape | 14 – 17% | 21 – 24% |
| Normal | 18 – 25% | 25 – 31% |
| Overweight | 26%+ | 32%+ |
For a more precise system I recommend Tanita BC-545 , Scale of Body Analysis of the Segment, Fat and muscle separately for each arm, leg and trunk. The cost is greater but the result is more precise.
Here are some scales to consider:
I hope you enjoyed this guide, and it was useful. Leave a comment below and let me know your opinion.
